History
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Main articles: Timeline of Serer history, Serer ancient history, and Serer history (medieval era to present) |
The Serer-Laalaa or Laalaa are part of the Serer ethnic group of Senegambia (Senegal and the Gambia). They live in Laa (var : Lâ), the Léhar Region, which comprises eighteen villages north of Thies and whose inhabitants are Serer-Laalaa. Although the people are ethnically Serer, their language Laalaa (or Lehar) is not a dialect of the Serer-Sine language, but—like Saafi, Noon, Ndut and Palor, one of the Cangin languages.[1]
Serer-Lehar, Serer-Lehaar, Serer-Laalaa, Serer-Laal, Serer-Lala, Laalaa or just Serer.
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Main article: Lehar language |
Their language, Laalaa or Lehar, is one of the Cangin languages, closely related to the Noon and Saafi languages, and more distantly related to Serer proper.[2]
They are people who once practiced agro-pastoral activities. Nowadays, agricultural activities predominate their lives. Livestock has been virtually decimated by repeated droughts in the late 1990s. The Laalaa have a younger generation of many intellectuals, a typical Serer traite.[3][4]
The number of speakers of their language is 12,000 in Senegal excluding the Gambia where they are also present.[5] As part of the Serer ethnic group, they collectively make up the third largest ethnic group in Senegal numbering over 1.8 million.[6] The Laalaa (also called Léhar) are mostly found in the north of Thies around the villages of Pambaal, Bargaro and Duuña.[7]
They have about 18 villages namely: Baam, Bapat, Bargaro, Besi, Bicoona, Duuñë, Gogona, Haak, Jalkin, Jëëfuñ, Joy, Kaadaan, Kii, Kolobaan, Pambal, Sowaaboon, Tuuba and Yindën. The Laalaa are also found outside the region of Thies. A large Laalaa community migrated between 1984 and 1986 to Saal Ngeen in the Tambacounda Region.[8]
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Main articles: Timeline of Serer history, Serer ancient history, and Serer history (medieval era to present) |
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Main article: Serer religion |
They practice the Serer religion which involves ancestor veneration, covering all dimensions of life, death and space.[9][10] Some Serer-Laalaas are Christians or Muslims whose conversion is very recent (like most Serer converts to Islam[11]).[11][self-published source] Both the Christian and Muslim groups mix it with Serer religion whilst the Ultra orthodox follow orthodox Serer religion.
